perennial course - emma restall orr

8/14/2019 Perennial Course - Emma Restall Orr

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A Perennial Coursein Living Druidrywritten by Emma Restall Orr (bobcat)

The Idea of this CourseStrange as it may sound, this course contains no information. It does not provideall you need to know about Druidry. No book or course can.

For in this most ancient tradition of Druidry, it is nature that teaches us. Seeking away of living that allows peace, freedom, satisfaction, Druidry guides us to look to ourrelationship with nature: with the landscape within which we live, and the flows of energy within our own soul. It teaches us to craft relationships with and withinnature that are respectful, honest and responsible. And, if we are willing and able, itshows us how we might deepen those relationships to the point of intimate andsacred interaction, washing us with ecstasy and the inspiration we call awen.

Druidry is the language we use for our relationship with nature. Some people have amore acute sensitivity, perceiving subtler levels of energy, consciousness, intentionand presence; others find it hard to perceive anything other than the physical world.Yet, however we are built, it is possible to improve the way we connect and relate tothe worlds in which we live. Deepening our relationships, finding honesty,acknowledging sanctity, fine-tuning through wakefulness, we learn to live lives that aregrounded and vibrant. We learn to be creative with the power of natural inspiration.

Taking that understanding, this course offers the simplicity of reminders, guiding anddirecting through ideas and questions. If the course is worked well, it will be thenatural world (human and non-human) that provides any information about whatDruidry truly is. The course, then, aims to teach by pointing out where and how thereal teaching can be found.

Of course, from that point, we may find curiosity and crave learning about mythology,

archaeology, theology, and there are courses that can teach these crafts, exploringthe ideas. The purpose of this course is to develop the undercurrent that flowsbeneath, a current that is profoundly Druidic.

Why Take the CourseEven when our dedication is strong, our commitment declared, the distractions andcrises of our lives can too easily dilute our practice. Quickly we find our relationshipscompromised by haste and lack of clarity, our inspiration fading. A little structurecan enable us more easily to hold to the tenets of our tradition on a day to day basis.Some folk are happy to attend courses that provide the motivation and discipline,

A Perennial Course in Living Druidry (bobcat)

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others use correspondence courses. However, both these can be expensive,particularly if we find their content of limited value.

The Perennial Course offers a simple framework. Each unit is based upon the courseof one lunar cycle, encouraging awareness of this natural influence upon our nature.The whole course comprises 13 units, stretching over the journey of a year, allowing asense of the suns cycle of waxing and waning. While working through each unit withcommitment, exploring each and every element presented, will hold that awareness, itis as easy to dip into it whenever we are seeking a little inspiration.

It doesnt matter how many times the course is repeated. Nor is there any end pointwhen all that can be learned from the material has been learned. Nature encouragesus to carry on learning. Indeed, the more often we do these exercises, the morestrength and clarity we bring to our relationship with natures teachers. As our focusdevelops, the more wakefulness we are able to bring to every step of the journey andevery decision we make. So do we deepen our connection with nature, extending thewealth of our own creativity.

Of course, giving a course out freely carries the risk of individuals misunderstandingthe material, or finding its effect on their lives beyond what they can manage. As aresult, these units are overtly gentle and simple. Nonetheless, used fully and regularly,they can be extraordinarily transformative.

Who is the Course forThe course is not about the specifics of ritual, mythology, culture or heritage, butabout the simplest steps that make Druidry a deep, real and utterly naturalspirituality. It doesnt go into magic or alchemy, but provides a foundation of relationship that is considered essential for the deeper mysteries of Druidry. As aresult, giving guidance, suggestions and encouragement, rather than a definitive bodyof Druidic knowledge, the course is designed to be of value to everyone.

Someone beginning their exploration of Druidry can work through it methodically,finding new ideas and exploring them as fully as they are able. The experiencedpractitioner of Druidry can find clues and reminders in the material that will encouragedeeper exploration, passing over some elements and reaching into others.

It is designed for an individual to be able to access and explore alone. However, it isalso appropriate for a group to work through the units together, perhaps meetingonce a calendrical or lunar month, in person or by internet discussion, to shareexperience, support and discovery.

Written in the temperate northern climate of Britain, the course relates to that cycle,reaching into the ancient roots of Druidry. However, this doesnt negate the coursesvalue for those studying in other areas, climates and hemispheres of the world; if folkwould like to submit notes from other climates and natural cycles, they would begratefully received.


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Getting StartedEach unit is linked to one of the 12 or 13 moons in the calendar year, the work of thatunit to run from the dark or new moon through its cycle of waxing and waning. Thefirst task is perhaps to find a calendar that lists the moons of the year, making anote of when each lunar tide begins, then synchronize the moons of the course tothose of the calendar.

The trick is to ensure that Fire Friend Moon moves across Samhain, 1 November;Imbolc is within White Waking Moon, 2 February; the 1 May festival, Beltane, is withinWhite Lady Moon; and Claim Song is the Lammas moon of 1 August. Let the othersfind their place, and if a moon is left unmarked, name this the Quickening Moon.

If it is too complicated for a group to meet at the start of each moon, and/or a

regular calendrical date is preferable, begin each unit around the middle of eachmonth, working that unit through the following 4 - 5 weeks.

It doesnt matter where you begin; you dont have to wait until a certain month ormoon. Just find which moon you are in and dive right in to the course. A few aspectsare progressive, developing over months or moons, but these will become clear andcan be picked up where it makes sense and feels appropriate.

As to how much time is spent on the course: my advice would be to put aside aperiod of time every morning to work on the unit, stopping part way through the dayto reconnect with the teaching, then reviewing in the evening. About an hour a day isa very fine goal.


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The CourseNOTES

Through most of these units, there are a number of questions, some small and somedealing with the major issues of life. Choose one or two in each on which to focusmost fully.

Festival : Each of these units has a festival written into it. If it doesnt quite fallwithin the moon period you are studying, work on its meaning nonetheless, using thetime to prepare for the festival in the coming moontide. The unit doesnt tell us howto celebrate the festival. Ideas, information and guidance about how to celebrate inritual can easily be found in other courses, books and websites. Instead the courseworks simply on the fundamental ideas to consider at this time, ideas which can be

woven into a ritual or group celebration.Humanity : Recognizing honourable relationship to be fundamental to the practice of Druidry, this element of the unit focuses our attention upon how we are relating toother human beings. it guides us to work more deeply on our understanding of humannature, within ourselves, those around us and all humanity.

Environment : This part of the unit is to encourage relationship with the living non-human spirits we share this world with. It encourages us to be aware of the trees,plants and other creatures that feel most alive, awake and influential in ourenvironment during the moon cycle we are moving through. Spending time in thegarden, meadows, fields, parks, or even simply looking out of the window, we see andfeel whose energy is most prominent. Before heading for magical books, our fieldguides are crucial: study its nature, its cycles, habits and needs. How and what is itteaching you? Can a relationship be created?

Creativity : The piece about creativity in each unit is not something to do just nowand then, when we think about it through the moontide; it is as important as anyother part of the unit. Filling our allotted time with this element of study makes anenormous difference to how we see and hear the world, and how we language and voiceour response to it.

Ethics : Living Druidry is about walking our talk, adjusting our behaviour as we learn

deeper consciousness and connection. This aspect of the unit suggest ways in whichwe might shift our lives, habits and attitudes, in order to live with what the Druid callshonour. The course is designed to allow us formulate just what that word mightmean. For - like love and truth - honour is a word that takes a lifetime and more tounderstand. Just when we feel we have a glimpse of its meaning, life changes and werealize the word has even greater depths.


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THE UNITS

Unit One

STAR FROST MOON(December - January)

Moon : Star FrostStar Frost is the name I use for this moon. Consider the name over the course of itscycle, feelings it in your belly and fingers and breath. Find our what other namespeople and traditions use for this moon. By the end, choose your own name for it,one that reflects the cycle in your environment and your own nature.

Festival : Midwinter This is the moon of Midwinter. The traditional date of Midwinter is three days afterthe Winter Solstice, and this may indeed fall within the days of this lunar cycle;however, more poignantly, this moon is a period during which we honour the turning of the solar tide. The days have been getting shorter and the nights longer, but no more.At Midwinter, the sun rises and sets at its most southerly point on the horizon:witness those moments and make a note of where they are. From here on, the sun willrise each day a little closer to the east, setting a little close to the west. During thismoon, the changes are slow but sure. Taking the time each day to watch the sun riseor set will provide moments of stillness, allowing you to feel connected to yourancestors who have watched the tide turn before you.

Season : Winter WaningAt Midwinter, we celebrate the birth of a new light. This is poetic, expressing the first

moments in the potential for renewal and regeneration, the beginning of a new cycleahead. For many, this is an expression of deity, inspiring profound reverence andrespect; here there is a god of light, a god of regeneration, of birth. What is thepurpose and impact of acknowledging these forces as deity or divine?

What other gods are present and prominent during this moontide? Which do you feel most drawn to, in which do you see most beauty, and through which do youfind inspiration? This is midwinter, and the darkness is still powerful. The worst of thecold is yet to come.

It is a sacred time of stillness, when all life moves slowly; if we try to speed itup, it will only drag and pull us down. Spending time awake to the environment, beaware of how nature functions at this time. Does anything in nature move quickly atthis time? How can you too slow down and what value would there be in doing so?

Perception : Being Through this moon, erase the word try from your vocabulary, for too often at thistime we are trying to achieve something when nature is instead calling us to be still.Be present, simply being where you are. Allow yourself to feel the moments as theypass through and around you.

If it is a struggle, remember that it isnt necessary to be alone; be with a tree,a stone, an apple, the moonlight, the rain. Hold your attention gently upon thatsimple experience of being together.

Allocate a period of time each day to this task of simply being or beingtogether.


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Element : MudAt this time, allow your focus to be earth. Explore the mud of the land where you live,

the soil that feeds you; what is it like and how is it distinct? What is its pH and whatdoes that mean? How deep is the topsoil, and how much of that is natural, howmuch brought in from elsewhere by gardeners and developers? What of the mudbeneath? Put some soil in a bowl on your altar inside, or craft an altar outside toremind you to honour this essential part of life. Be with it. Feel how it holds you.

Humanity : EarthIn terms of crafting or deepening a relationship at this time, allow your focus to beupon the earth beneath your feet. For many in Druidry, the earth is a deity; is it for

you and what does that mean?Be with this power of nature. Does it feel more male or female to you, god or

goddess, or beyond the symbology of gender? What do you quest from therelationship? What do you need from the earth, and what does it give you? What do

you give in return? Is the relationship in balance? How conscious are you of it on adaily basis and how can you extend that awareness?

Spend some time during this cycle considering the issues, but moreimportantly then allow your behaviour to change accordingly.

Environment : SleepingSome writers have allocated the birch as the tree of this moon; who? Does this treecall to you? Can you identify it without leaves?

Is there another tree that is more prominent during this moon in theenvironment within which you live? Is it vibrant or hibernating? Spend time with

different trees, feeling how they are at this time and with whom you feel mostcomfortable and inspired. Who still has green leaves, and how does their spirit feelcompared with those who are sleeping? What can the bare trees teach you of theearth beneath you?

What plants are vibrant at this time? Are you aware of the non-human fauna(the wild creatures, not pets) that share your environment right now? How are theymanaging in this depth of winter? Who is hibernating near you, who is sleeping?

Self : SolitudeThis moontide is often one of the hardest and one where we crave the distractions of food and company. How do you do this? Where is that behaviour healthy andnurturing, and where is it escapist and distracting? Nature teaches us of solitude atthis time, of learning to be alone, or without human company. How is this so? Whatcan you do at this time to explore your solitude or deepen your experience of it, findingthe fears it provokes and the gifts it brings?

Creativity : Walking the TaleDuring this moontide, in the silence of solitude and simply being in your environment,now is the time to learn the story you have chosen. You have heard it many timesperhaps; now, as you learn it, explore ways in which you can more profoundly be withinit, experiencing its every turn and tide, feeling how its energy rises and falls. Move withits every move, breathing in its every moment. Feel it. Walk its footsteps. Learn itfrom the inside out.


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Ethics : Impact Finding the stillness of the earth goddess (or god) over the course of this moon

cycle, open your consciousness to what impact your life has on the earth. Considerthe food you eat, what you eat and how much. Think about the earth where it wasgrown and nourished; how does the mud there differ from that beneath your feet?What of fertilizers and pesticides?

Be wakeful to the rubbish you generate that is taken to landfill sites. Where is your nearest landfill? Go and see it, feel your part in its creation; allow yourself to beinside its story just as you are doing with the story you are learning. Feeling thepower of the earth deity, how does it accept such sites? What other gods or forcesof nature are present here? How did our ancestors deal with rubbish?

Responsibility is a word that asks about our ability to respond: only when weunderstand and accept a situation can we hope to respond honourably. Similarly, as

you feel the quiet and stillness of nature, be conscious of how much noise you putinto the environment. Be patient, with yourself and others. Consider the wordacceptance.

Review :In the last few days of the moontide, when the moon is dark, consider what you haveachieved through the cycle. What have you learned, changed, understood, and givenin exchange?


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Unit TwoWHITE WAKING MOON(January - February)

Moon : White WakingWhite Waking is the name I give to this moon. Spend time with those words eachevening as the moon waxes, each morning as you rise to the waning moon of this tide: what is the power within them at this time? As you do so, be wakeful too to yourenvironment through this moons cycle and allow your own name to emerge, one thatspeaks of your own relationship with nature at this time.

Festival : Imbolc Imbolc or Gwyl Fair is the name given to the festival we celebrate on or around 2February. Research the meanings of those words, the roots of the festival, and whatit is most poignantly celebrating.

What is the point of a festival at this time? Whom does it serve? Only whenwe know this can we begin to find a way to celebrate the rite that touches our ownsoul and is of value to others.

Choose three things (just three) with which to make a simple ritual to honourthe powers of nature pertinent at this time, and make your ritual in such a way thatits expression is also in harmony with the moment in time.

Season : Waxing SpringImbolc can be seen as the first festival of spring, when we call to the divine forces of spring, the first of whom is now quietly but surely beginning to move through thelandscape. Who are the gods of spring? How do you personally empathize or relate to

these energies?The landscape and air is still heavy with cold and dark, but the first glimpsesof new life are beginning to show. Take yourself out and explore the environment asnature breaks through the frozen earth. It make take an effort, warm clothes anddetermination to do this regularly through this moontide, but it is worth it. Witnessthe power of these forces, allowing them to touch your soul. How does their touchaffect you?

Perception : DanceAs the light returns, days now growing noticeably longer, the clear energy of a newcycle is starting to rise. Feel it, and, witnessing this dance of new life, let yourself move too. Break through the frozen constraints of winters cold; find your firstmovement, stretching and waking.

This is not something to try only once, but an important part of staying inpace with the season, and day by day letting a new cycle begin within. Dance itsemergence, yet in doing so with a wakeful awareness of your own truth emerging.Break through the frozen crust of your own fears and inhibitions.

If you find it hard to dance to the sounds of emergence, begin by finding yourdance to human music. Find a piece of music, of whatever style, that you feel mostclosely sings the songs of this part of natures cycle. As you let go, move your bodywith the music, not to the music. Once you have found your freedom to move, allow

yourself to dance into and with the simplicity of springs emergence.


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Element : BreathIn this moon, it is the air that we honour, air as breath, the first breath of a new life.

Put aside time each day for stillness in which to be more conscious of your

breathing. Learn how to breathe more deeply, into your abdomen (find a teacher whowill show you how), and feel the difference that depth provokes.Be aware of the breathing of others, including animals. How do birds breathe

as they fly? How do trees breathe? With a tree that invites your company, breathetogether.

The word inspiration speaks of breathing in; what are you breathing in?Focus on this through the waxing half of the moon. Remember that growth cannotbe pushed but happens when we are relaxed, in the exhalation; as the moon passes itsfullness and wanes again, allow your focus to rest on this process of growth throughrelaxation and release. How does this understanding relate to other areas of your life?

Humanity : ChildrenAs we look at new life in the environment around us, let us find it too within ourcommunity. At this time when children are too often stuck inside, find the child within

yourself and explore these relationships, finding ways to play again, being consciousand respectful of a childs ability to learn, to feel wonder, to discover new and amazingmoments.

Whether you have children or know some, or are working simply with the childinside yourself, let go of some more of that tired cynicism; use this moontide to findwonder and the art of play.

Environment : SnowdropsSome consider the rowan to be the tree of this moon: who and why? Do you have

rowan or mountain ash in your landscape? What is the connection to this time?What are the first plant and the first tree to show signs of new growth in yourhome environment? We speak of snowdrops, and in some places these are the firstflowers, but are they native and wild or cultivated plants? What of other snow-hardyplants, bulbs and wild perennials? In my garden the lungwort are the first to flower,reminding me of the first fresh breath of spring.

What of insects and other wild creatures? If you are near sheep farmers, isthis the time when their ewes are lambing? Watch for every hint of new life, and seehow it dances and breathes its life into being.

Self : DreamsAs we acknowledge and honour with wonder the energy of new life, how easy is it toallow this force to inspire regeneration and hope within your own soul? What willnaturally and easily regenerate for you within the cycle of the year ahead? What willtake more effort and hard work? Hope is a complex feeling; what hopes do you holdwithin your soul?

Hope is based on a measure of possibility, or even probability. In Druidry, thebreadth of potential is always kept much wider, and dreams are therefore animportant part of own power of creativity. They can be realistic, but at Imbolc realismis not as important as imagination. What dreams do you have for this year? Writethem down, paint them, dance them, using any media of playful (skilled or unskilled)creativity to explore them more deeply.

Creating an altar to spring and new life, honouring the gods of emergence, is a


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powerful way of not limiting potential. It need not be complicated: a simple table withitems upon it that remind you of this divine power. There is no right or wrong; let thealtar be very personal, expressing your own vision and understanding. What would be

an appropriate symbol of your dreams? Place this upon your altar.Creativity : Giving it BreathAs this moon tide is focused upon breath, now is the time to begin to tell the story

you have learned. This is not about sharing it broadly to an audience, not aboutperformance, not yet! In this moon, it is simply about quietly and surely giving thestory breath, your own breath. In doing so, find its rhythms and movement. Find itsvoices, feeling how those ancestral voices move through your own breath.

So whom do you tell the story to? Begin by telling it to the spirits who haveinspired you to learn this tale. They may of spirits of darkness, or wind, of fire, of motherhood or mud, or ancestors.

As you give the story breath, be aware of how others have shared it throughbreath and sound before. Be aware of those who will tell the story in generations tocome. You are part of a continuity of life, intimately connected.

Ethics : VoiceYour voice is a powerful tool. During this moontide allow yourself to be poignantlyaware of how you use your voice, how you communicate with others, your tone andemotion, your reason or passion; how much damage can be caused by words spoken,and how much love expressed! Be particularly aware of this in any relationship thatnot clear, productive or inspiring.

Your voice is also important in terms of provoking change: use your voice,protesting where it is needed to, with letters, emails and simply by finding the courage

to share a little more truth, ever conscious of the power of your own voice.Here again that word arises : responsibility.



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Unit ThreeWIND TOSSED MOON(February - March)

Moon : Wind TossedThis moon I call Wind Tossed Moon, for it is the time when the winds come joy-ridingthrough the valley, bringing icy cold yet cleansing rain, or biting sleet. Yet what spiritsare most obviously present, guiding the energies of this moon cycle, in yourenvironment? Find our what other names people and traditions use for this moon,and choose your own name, one that reflects your environment and your own nature.

Festival : EquinoxDuring this moon, we are building up towards the Spring Equinox. If you are stillwatching where the sun rises and sets, youll find its position changes every day. Inthe last half of this moon, it leaps along the horizon: feel how that speed of change isbeginning to be reflected in the landscape.

As the equinox draws closer, be aware of what that force of change isbringing to you, to those around you, to the landscape within which you live. Spendtime considering how this moontide would have been for your ancestors, of 100 yearsago, 500 years ago, three thousand years ago and more.

Season : SpringSpring is now pouring through in a rush of change. Watch out for the significantmoments that yell to you about how the season is truly alive. The scent of the windwill be different, bringing a sweetness of new growth and hope. Can you tell how faraway the rain is by the smell of it in the wind, the shifting ions lifting its scent? Work

on that skill through the course of the moontide.What difference does it make to you to be most acutely aware of how theenvironment is changing?

Perception : TouchTouch is the perception to work on through this moon. As the waking worldstretches, touch it, physically.

Wake your nerves by bringing a consciousness to the simple task of remembering or finding out what the world around you feels like: rock, sand, roughcrystal, polished gems, bark of oak and cherry, sanded wood, tender new growth,petals, rain water, moving water, apples, potatoes, kale, broccoli, papaya pips ... eventhe darkness of the nights air. Allow your own soul to wake with it, exploring theworld around you.

Spend time in the dark, or blind folded (with support if needed), experiencingthe world of touch without the benefit of vision. What more do you discover about

your environment and yourself?

Element : WindThe element to work with during this moon is air, but now that air is moving throughthe environment, as wind. Be conscious of the slightest movements of the breeze.What does the wind bring with it? Does it make you or others (notably children)unsettled or vitalized? Do you flinch with stormy winds? Explore what it is like todance and sing in the wind: celebrate its force, finding ways to move with it. Feel it


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touch you, exploring your body. Watch how it explores your house, the forest, thewater. What is the wind seeking?

In deep Druidry, we would speak of what is held within its song; what do you

think that means?Humanity : SiblingsBrothers and sisters are the key relationships of this moontide. They are often thebringers of the first and most furious change in our own lives, and as you honour thewinds of change, consider your siblings. If you have no brothers or sisters, who havetaken their roles in your life, playing beside you as key support and competitor? Howhave the currents of your lives pushed and pulled against each other, influencing andaffecting the individual journeys?

What would it take to improve those relationships now? Do it.

Environment : First LightSome link the ash to this moon, but this correspondence doesnt clearly reflect in thelandscape of my home, where at this time the ash is still quietly sleeping, albeit withlast years seed-keys rustling in the winds of the bare canopy.

What tree or trees can you feel most strongly now, and which plants aremaking the most of the extra hours of light, especially now while the canopy above isstill bare? How does the extra light affect the birds? Who is beginning to nest at thistime? What of the other fauna? Who is awake and alive and pouring energy through

your environment? How does their energy feel beside yours?

Self : ChangeExploration is an important part of this moons cycle, for the environment around us

is reaching out, beginning to stretch, filled with hope, finding and feeling the edges.At this time, when you come across a limitation, challenge it. Explore other wayspast it, into it, through it. This is especially important with those edges and barriersthat have been in place for a long time. How many of these are now just habit,limitations that you assume to be there because they were before?

It is easy to remain in stasis, afraid of new growth. Yet Druidry is aspirituality from an island environment that is in constant change : every day, everyhour, the weather changes, the light adjusting, the winds, plants, people, all reacting,responding, changing. In this way, Druidry is a religious or spiritual tradition basedupon the magical powers of change. What does this mean and what is its value? Isthere a god of change, or who are the gods of change? How can we revere them, andwhy would we want to? Let the changing of nature teach you, guiding your ownprocess of change and growth.

Creativity : Sharing the TaleYou have given the story as an offering back to the muse, the source of inspiration,and now is the time to share it with others. Spend all the time you need to prepare,then gather together a few friends, people you know. Share food and news, laughterand support, and when you are ready still the gathering for the telling of the tale.

Making prayers to those who gave your the tale, who inspired and have guided you to feel its blood and breath, be conscious of the wild wind - and let your voiceopen. Remember that the tale is now a part of you. Give it to those who hear it so ittouches their souls.


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Ethics : RespectConsider the word respect. What right do we have to change others?

When we are in doubt ourselves or not concerned as to anothers action, it iseasy enough to retain flexibility, but what about when we are sure we are right?Consider issues such as the way someone eats, or treats their children, how muchthey smoke or drink. When is it respectful to work towards altering anothers mind orcourse? Can it ever be entirely ethical to focus on influencing anothers life? Whatabout giving healing, and in particular when someone is unable to give consent? Howdoes this connect with the tradition of magic?

Explore these ideas, alone and in discussion with others. Break yourself openin this regard to see more clearly your own behaviour.



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Unit FourFLOWER SHOWER MOON(March - April)

Moon : Flower ShowerFlower Shower is the name I use for this moon, celebrating both the suddenabundance of flowers in our gardens and hedgerows and the powers of the rain. Thedaffodils are out, the cowslips and primulas, forsythia and blackthorn, yet the rainscome down in bursts of cleansing freshness. What is the most relevant name forthis moon in your environment?

Festival : Alban EilirThe festival of the Spring Equinox may well fall during this moon cycle. In much of modern Druidry it is called Alban Eilir; research the name and see how it sits within

your soul during this time, allowing the words to teach you.Note where the sun rises and sets on the day of the Spring Equinox in the

environment around you : over which tree, hill or building does it break into the sky onthis morning and slip away at the end of the day?

Using all you have prepared through the past moon cycle, allow yourself here amoment of stillness within the flow of change. Consider where and how far you havecome since the beginning of last winter, what you have released that you had held asa burden, what you have achieved in terms of understanding and growth; consolidate,finding acceptance, with your feet on the ground.

Then consider the next six months, and what youd like to achieve, thinkingparticularly in terms of relationship, honesty, integrity, peace and creativity.

Season : Spring WaningThe power of regeneration is, through this moon, in full flush. Those who have alreadyemerged are calling to others to join them, hedgerows and gardens opening out intocolour. What is the most prominent colour?

Dedicating time to being outside, whether that is in the wild, in your garden orin city park, is immensely important at this time. Let yourself be washed in the rain!Allow yourself the time and stillness to experience this potent surge of waking growth.

Be aware of how it changes throughout the course of the moons four weeks.Can you sense the difference during the waxing and the waning of the moon? Howdoes that change influence you?

Perception : Taste and SmellTaste and smell are the senses to immerse yourself in through this moon tide, forthere is suddenly so much around us, calling out for our attention. Spending time inthis profusion of new growth, be aware of that call.

Like a young child, create opportunities to explore the world around you. Smellthe earth, leaves, bark, flowers, rain, sunshine and darkness. Can you smell thechanging season, the rising energies of life and growth?

This is a time when often we are inspired to spring clean. As you do so, beaware of smell. Clear your home of all that doesnt smell good to you. Is thatpossible? If not, why not, and what can you do about it?

Dont eat anything until you have breathed in its smell and that aroma trulyinspires your hunger. What smells good to you, and how does that relate and add to


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its taste? If little immediately inspires you, find what does!Remember that in every scent there is a story: breathe in, listening to those

stories. Taste the journey. Does it nourish you?

Element : SkyDuring this tide we hold the focus on air, but now, with the environment so full withchange, growth and potential, we open our soul to air as the infinite skies.

Air doesnt hold us. It is unstructured and offers no support, no frameworkon which to hang our life. It can feel unsafe, even dangerous. Yet it also provides nolimitation. How much do you need to be held and how much do you seek freedom?What is the balance between the two? Can you craft that balance across the year,instead of in each day, allowing yourself freedom to explore now that spring is here(committing to the holding of dependency and nurturing later in the year)?

Through this moons cycle, be conscious of space, endless space. When youlook up into the skies, during the day and at night, what do you see? What is trulythere? Find out!

Humanity : FriendshipIn any relationship it is possible to encourage, to nurture or to constrain. During thismoon, consider friendship. What do you wish for in a friend? How do you definefriendship? What strengths and failings are there in your own capacity to be a friend?

You may wish to take one friendship through this cycle and work on it, allowingit to teach you as your deepen its potential, giving and receiving more, ever aware of the balance between freedom and limitation.

Environment : First Leaves

It is the alder that some associate with this moon: who and why?Which trees and plants are most strongly expressing their song at this time?In what order are the trees coming into leaf? Watch for the leaf buds and flowers onthe larger trees. What is in the hedgerows?

What of the wildlife in the environment of your home? Which birds are youseeing and which are nesting? Make a note so that next year you can review and seehow your neighbourhood is changing. Is it positive or are species declining? What can

you do to help? Do it.

Self : FreedomWhen we are working with air, we are given the greatest opportunities to explorefreedom, yet the risk is always that we chose escapism. The line between the two issometimes hard to discern.

Through this moon, be aware of what you tend to escape from, or long toescape from: relationship, intimacy, solitude, responsibility, expectations, demands,accountability, creativity. Be aware of what you use in your life to facilitate momentsor periods of escape. Our culture readily supports the usual escapist tactics, suchas the distraction of television, gossip newspapers and magazines, alcohol and otherdrugs: anything that stops us thinking. When is it positive to take a break, to relax,carefree, and when are we escaping issues weve not yet addressed?

What is the alternative that you are confident is the journey to freedom? Howimportant is freedom, what does it mean, and in which areas of your life do you wishfor more? What would freedom allow you to do, or be, or achieve? How can you make


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strides now towards that goal?

Creativity : Life

Having let your story go in the last moon cycle, during this tide allow yourself timeonce again simply to be awake to the creativity of all that exists around you.The physical world can be seen as the woven creativity of every spirit, every

current of energy and consciousness. Allow yourself to feel wonder at the world!Explore all that goes into the things you take for granted, such as food, music,furniture, literature, and the natural world. Be awake to all those who are pouringtheir soul songs into each work of creativity. A cotton shirt holds the story of not

just many human beings, but of the cotton plant, the soil, the sun, the rain and thecommunities who depend upon it.

Open your mind to the exquisite reality of every complex web of connection.How does this affect your attitude to life - your life and life around you?

Ethics : FreedomThinking again about respect, whom do we limit? Whose lives are affected and limitedby our living? Are we being protective or needy, holding someone too close andcompromising their freedom? Are we being greedy and thoughtless, taking more thanwe really need?

Through this moontide we are thinking about this in terms of closerelationships, notably with friends, but think too on a broader level: within yourneighbourhood, and even globally, consider the environment, what you consume, theissues of poverty and distribution of wealth. Who has the right to be free? Whatdoes that mean? How and where does one persons freedom bring limitation toanother?

How can you change your behaviour to ensure you are living more honourablyin this respect?



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Unit FiveWHITE LADY MOON(April - May)

Moon : White LadyWhite Lady Moon is the name I use for this the moon of Beltane. The first moon of summer, and the goddess of the moon is reflected in the white blossom of thehedgerows: the stark white blackthorn giving way to rosy hawthorn, which in turngives way to the heavy sprays of elder, and beneath in the grasses the myriad delicateflowers of the cow parsley.

What would be a name for this moon that expresses the nature of own homeand your own soul song?

Festival : BeltaneBeltane, Calan Mai, marks the place of this moon, sitting calendrically at thebeginning of May. What is the history of this festival and its names? How do youthink our ancestors celebrated this time?

In some Pagan traditions, it is a celebration of sexuality, and often this isrepresented through the coming together of a gender polarity: the male (sun) andfemale (earth) dance the magic of sexuality, expressing natures fertility and theexuberance of growth. Is this an appropriate story for you to work with this year? If love and sex are in your life, it can be a powerful reflection and source of empathy andcelebration.

Sexuality and gender are important forces to work with, but not the only wayof experiencing this festival. Regardless of gender, consider what it is that comestogether to inspire creativity in the natural world around you and in your own life, eg.

sunshine and mud, moonlight and water, rain and vitality, love and hunger, experienceand wonder ... What else? How can you most beautifully and effectively honour andcelebrate these powers in your life?

Season : Summer WaxingIn this landscape of my home, this is the first moon of summer, the first signs of summers songs in the environment around us. If this is the case for you, what arethose signs? How do they make you feel? What do they inspire in your soul?

Druidry teaches us to live in harmony with the tides of nature, moving withinstead of against their flow: how can you adjust your life in order to live in tune withthe energies rising in the environment within and around you?

Element : FireAs the season changes, let us shift our focus to the element of fire during thismoontide. In Druidry, fire is seen to be transformative, purgative, cleansing on aspiritual level. Many in Druidry perceive fire as deity, or revere gods who are seen ascontrolling the forces of fire. How would or do you honour a deity of fire? Does a firedeity reflect a gender, being a god or goddess, and why?

The least predictable of the elements, ravenous and devouring, it is dangerousand yet critical to the course of human evolution. Spend time considering how thepower of fire would have been to your ancestors of 3000 years ago, of 500 yearsago, to your grandparents, and to you. Can you make fire without matches? Think of electricity. Do you understand it? Just how much has it replaced the blaze of a fire?


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How can you be more conscious of these forces, honouring their power and allthey allow us?

Perception : ListeningDuring this moon, focus on listening.Most of us dont listen well. Think first about conversations you have with

others: are you hearing their story or waiting for a chance to tell your own? Are youlistening to the unspoken words or filling the gaps with assumptions?

Listening is a fundamental part of learning the craft of the Bard, for withoutfirst fully listening to a story or song, we have no hope of telling or singing itourselves. Yet it is not only mythology we must fully hear: all of nature is filled withstories. Tales of our ancestors exist in the bones of our children, in the stones of ourcities; where else? How can we hear those tales?

It is not only with our ears that we hear, for we pick up sound vibrations withevery part of our body. Dedicate time to this, focussing on one thing (wind, bird, tree,person ... ) for a few days or more, then another thing, simply listening, opening

yourself to hear its present, then its past. What do we mean by the song inDruidry?

Self : PassionWhat inspires energy in your soul? This moontide is one of rising energy, of passion:the trees are coming into leaf, the world once again pouring itself into lush greengrowth, but what do those words mean in your own life? Like fire, passion can beunpredictable and dangerous; how do you express passion, and how do you suppressit? Many would acknowledge a deity of passion, honouring this force that is sopowerful in human lives. What would be the effect in your life of creating an altar to a

god of passion? What gifts could you offer such a deity?We can justify passion or its suppression with rational arguments, both forhonourable reasons and as a way of defending ourselves from hurt. Often it is thatother wild emotion - fear - that holds us back. How can we express our passion morefully, celebrating its gift of vitality? How does honesty fit into this, and what of respect?

If the subject seems to big to handle, take one relationship and/or onemedium of your own creativity in which there is not enough (or too much) passionexpressed. How can this be improved? Allow fire to teach you.

Environment : VibranceYou may wish to explore the willow during this moontide, as many associate this timeof year with those trees. In my valley, the willow is softly green, drawing in the watersof the springs long rains. Its energy is gentle compared with the humming vibrance of much of nature at this time, each spirit lifting out of the cold into summers firstwarmth in a celebration of life.

Which trees and plants are singing most loudly at this time in yourenvironment? What is the predominant colour of the flowers in the wild? Are youseeing butterflies, birds with their first clutch of fledglings, toads or bats? Are theresummer migrants starting to arrive yet?

Creativity : MuseDuring this moon cycle, find a muse. In other words, be awake and aware of who


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inspires you. That muse may be a human being, but as likely it may be the moon, theriver that runs through your town, the sweet chestnut in front of your house, thebluebells, the daisies, the first bumble bees.

How can you find a muse?To be inspired, we need to be receptive. Just as it is possible to listen to asong and not truly hear it or perceive its value, so we can wander through life and findnothing that inspires. Opening our hearts, our minds, our senses, we learn to beawake to hear the beautiful, to hear what nourishes us, to hear something powerfulwith which we can empathize. We learn to recognize what is of profound value, thedivine energy of life, the potentially creative touch of another.

Being open, however, can make us feel vulnerable. It takes trust. What elsedoes it take? How can you be open enough to find your muse, to be inspired?

Humanity : IntimacyPartnerships are the focus of this moon, and particularly those through which weexpress (or long to express) our passion. These may be loving, sexual, spiritual, orcreative in other ways, but they always hold a measure of intimacy: we are open to theother person, feeling their creativity and life energy, giving our own. What is the valueof such relationship? Why are they a part of human nature?

If you have more than one intimate relationship in your life, address one at atime, watching how honestly and fully you pour your passion into the connection.What holds you back? How can this relationship be improved? Are you listening tothe other person sufficiently to hear truly what they are asking, needing or long forthemselves?

If you have no intimate partnerships in your life at the moment, broaden thescope and look beyond the reach of human relationship. With what powers of nature

are you able to express your passion? How can these be improved? And how can youlearn from it the lessons which would allow you to create as deep and nurturing arelationship with another human being?

Ethics : SexualitySexuality is so fundamental a part of our human soul, yet too often it is complicated.Emotions such as jealousy, fears about rejection and wounds that disallow easytrust, make physical intimacy and sexual relationships a part of our culture heavilyregulated by social rules. Yet, many of those rules are constantly being broken,animal passions kicking through boundaries, leaving tangles of lies, frustrations andhypocrisies. What are these social rules? What is your experience of thesecomplications?

Druidry is a spiritual tradition that beautifully guides us through these issues.Primarily acknowledging a beings soul rather than their body, the physical gender of individuals within a sexual relationship is not important. Placing value on respect andhonesty, rather than on obedience to rules or convention, allows us to create uniquerelationships that suit the individuals involved.

How much is your sexuality tangled up in convention? As a society, how cawe craft relationships founded on loyalty, honesty and acceptance of our individualneeds, strengths and desires? What are the dangers? How can you do it for

yourself? What would freeing up your sexuality do for you? What steps can you taketowards that?


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Review :In the last few days of the moontide, when the moon is dark, consider what you haveachieved through the cycle. What have you learned, changed, understood, and given

in exchange?


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Unit SixLOVE BRIGHT MOON(May - June)

Moon : Love BrightLove Bright is the name I use for this moon, for the weather is now usually warmenough to make love outside (in comfort), encouraging us to open up and celebratelife with more freedom. What name would be most poignant for you to give thismoon?

Festival : SolsticeAlban Hefin is this moons festival focus, the Summer Solstice, the height of the sunand the longest day of the year. This festival may fall within this moon cycle but evenif it doesnt, the moontide is spent preparing for it, for the days grow longer, the sunhigher in the sky, as we head towards to the hinge of the year.

For some, this is the easiest moon of all: energy is high and the long daysallow much to be achieved. Others find it a hard time, with too little darkness for deepnourishment or sleep, and too much energy to avoid chaos. Be increasinglyconscious of how this time of year affects you, and what forces and currents innature are the key influences; craft ideas as to how you can acknowledge and honourthose powers when the festival arrives.

The sun is rising and setting at its most northerly points at the Solstice;commit time to seeing just where this is on your horizon.

Season : SummerSummer is in its flush of growth, with blossom and flowers, the air filled with scent.

Whether you live in the wilds of a rural landscape or in the midst of the city, be awaketo what is new - every day. Open your life to be receptive to this energy and creativity,taking time to celebrate it.

However, as we get closer to the Solstice, the world seems to slow. Thosewho have been going at full speed suddenly stumble, creating chaos. Within the midstof the profusion of growth, we hit a few days of stillness. Why is this? Can you feelit?

Element : SunThrough this moon, let the focus be the element of fire as the sun.

Outsiders to the Druid tradition still mistake Druidry for a religion based uponworship of the sun. Our ancestors in Druidry, particularly over the past few hundred

years, by focusing their learning upon the patterns of nature easily presented the sunas a most crucial pivot in nature: our nearest star, its heat and light allows us life.

In the modern tradition, the sun is clearly a god to many Druids. What are thequalities of this deity to you? Do you honour and revere this god? Would you saythat you worship it, and if not, why not?

The sun is crucial to life. Is there any life on this planet that does not dependon the sun? Taking time to look around, to sit and watch, seek out the song orenergy of the sun in everything around you. Can you see and feel it in leaves, petals,the first strawberries, in the grain of a wooden bowl? Is there anywhere you cantperceive it? Feel its pull, through time and through space. It provides a focus; howcan that focus guide and hold? And how can it guide and hold you?


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sometimes the inspiration flows through an environment.So, in this moon, we look at that most potent Druid word: awen. The

extraordinary kick of lightning that is the experience of one spirit consciously

connecting with another, awen is the explosion of lifes essence into our awareness. Itis the power of inspiration drawn directly from the gods, from the primary currents of nature. As you nurture the connection with your muse, commit to discovering moreabout the power of awen and how you can find it.

Humanity : SocietySociety is the focus of this moon in terms of how we relate to the world around us.The bright sun and high energy all too often encourage pride and arrogance, weaknessexposed by the light clumsily hidden behind big words and colourful declarations.Where we are lacking enough confidence to be honourably assertive, aggression isused; confrontations and conflicts rise up in the summer heat.

Pause, stepping out of the rush of energy, and see how society around you isworking, individuals and groups pushing and pulling. How are you adding to this tug of war? How are you not helping? How could your living be a positive force instead?

Ethics : PeacePeace is the word of this moon, not because it is easy now, but because with energyso high it is necessary. We can learn the greatest lessons of peace at this time, notonly in terms of others but also about peace within ourselves; for we cant effectivelycall for peace in the world if within our own soul we are in perpetual conflict.

Each time you see the turmoil of fighting (war on television, scuffles in thestreet, children squabbling, couples bickering), check your own state of peace. Whatis peace, after all? What allows you personally to feel at peace? How can you share

that feeling most honestly, respectfully and effectively?Review :In the last few days of the moontide, when the moon is dark, consider what you haveachieved through the cycle. What have you learned, changed, understood, and givenin exchange?


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Unit SevenFIELD POPPY MOON(June - July)

Moon : Field PoppyField Poppy is what I call this moon, celebrating the return of wild flowers to the fieldsof wheat and barley. The poppies, scarlet amidst the cereals as they turn from greento gold, are also like a scattering of blood, reminding me of all in nature that is beingsuppressed or killed for the sake of our corn. What is the most relevant name for thismoon in your environment?

Festival : MidsummerWhile in the last moon we prepared for Alban Hefin, during this moon we arecelebrating midsummer, either over the course of the traditional dates that land inthis moon tide (around 24 June), or simply by taking the path steadily and wakefullythat leads down the other side of that peak of light. Thus we can celebrate on aparticular day, but also do we add consciousness of a festival into the flow of manydays.

In what way can you celebrate this turning of the solar tide?

Season : Waning SummerSummer is vibrant around us now. There is life brimming, seething, hummingeverywhere we look, with new growth finding its strength, many wild flowers giving wayto abundant green. The grasses are high in the meadow, wheat and barley in thefields, swaying in the breeze like the wind on water. It can be energizing but alsosometimes suffocating.

How easy is it for you to be in tune with this season, and what does thatmean? After the strange pause that suddenly slows life down at the peak of the years light, the momentum starts to build again, this time heading downhill; can youfeel it?

Element : EnergyAt this time, let the focus be fire as the energy of life. Nature is heavy with it allaround us, fat with growth, petals falling and the fruit now beginning to swell that willbe the harvest to come. Can you perceive that energy of life in all around you? Donttry to see some ethereal spirit; begin by simply acknowledging and acceptingsomething to be alive.

In animism, many speak of everything in nature having its own spirit, but whatdo they or you mean by spirit? Most theologies consider human beings to have asoul, but what does that mean? Does a cat have a spirit or soul? Does a beetle, aslug, a tree, a river, the earth, the wind, a bacterium? Where is the cut off point, if itexists at all?

To the Druid, it is not that all in the physical world contains spirit or a soul,for there is no such distinction between spirit and matter. Both are fundamentallycrafted of the same stuff: energy and consciousness. And all nature is imbued withenergy and consciousness (or purpose). Nothing is special, nothing set apart,chosen by a creator, deemed more important or worthy of consideration.

How does this affect the way we might live? Think of broiler chickens, puppies,rivers, forests.


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Perception : LifeThis moontide, as we slip down the other side of the peak, let your focus of sensory

perception to be as broad as possible: explore the sensation of being alive amidst thisEarths profusion of life.This doesnt necessarily mean actively getting busy and doing things; instead,

allow yourself simply to feel how your life fits into the web of life. How do you fit intothe ecosystem of your environment, and of the wider environment of nature? Howdoes your life fit into the web of lives that make up your blood line, your communityand humanity?

Feel what the Druid means by saying: we are all connected.

Self : StillnessExplore the pleasure of stillness during this moon. There is nothing to do now butwait for harvest. Let this notion inform you as to just how quickly you are taking yourlife? How much do you chase your tail? How often do take time to be calm? This isnot about passivity or distractions, but about taking the time to relax and beourselves. Consider what drives you and any root fears that fuel those drives.

Environment : StrengthAt this time of high summer, it is the oak that is seen to embody the season: whouses this association and why?

Where I live, by early July the oaks have had their first flush of growth but arenot yet pushing into their second. The honeysuckle, which gives the first soft leavesof the early spring, is now in flower, with dog roses, elder and poppy. What are theplants and animals most alive in your environment?

Creativity : StructureAfter last moontide, nurturing the relationship with your muse, during this moon letthe creativity flow through you in the form of poetry. This form of creative expressionwas key to the Bards of the old Druid tradition, and is viewed with equal importancetoday. For poetry allows us to create with a balance between our analytical andspatial capacities, between colour and sound, imagery and reason. It paints picturesin our minds eye while describing their detail. It offers ideas yet leaves gaps for thesoul to fill in with emotion, mystery and imagination.

Begin by exploring structures in different forms of poetry. Read a range of different poets, and see which structures feel most comfortable for you. Have a gousing a simple form of four lines, the first three with 7 syllables, the last with 3. Try ahaiku: three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables in each. What is the rhythm or meter of atraditional or Shakespearean sonnet? Try writing one yourself. The subject? Yourmuse!

Humanity : SolitudeDuring this time, find the natural balance between being with others, celebrating thelong days, the warmth, and the beginnings of harvest ... and being alone.

Be conscious of the time you spend alone, using it well, walking in places thatinspire and calm you, allowing yourself time to think, to ponder, to daydream. Howcomfortable are you alone?

Be conscious, too, of the time you spend with others. When you are in


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company, be aware of how easy this is. Reflect on where and how you are mosttruthfully yourself, where you are calmest and happiest, and how that understandingcan enrich and improve your time alone and time spent with others.

This awareness will naturally deepen your understanding of yourself and yourown truth. To the Druid, this is an extremely important awareness, allowing him/herto interact with honour, and a growing confidence in his/her own honesty.

Ethics : RightsHow much do we demand of life? Consider the notion of rights. What do you feel tobe your rights, as a human being, as a member of your family, as a citizen of a nation,as a being who lives upon this sacred earth? How do you justify your rights, and whodo you think would disagree with those rights? How many in this world have thoserights assured or defended? Bear in mind that fine balance between yourself andothers (human and non-human) in terms of need. Look at the blurred lines betweenneed and desire.

Having thought the issues through, how can you change your way of life inorder to improve the reality of life for yourself and for others? Consider the wordgenerosity, another potent word in the history of people, our heritage, our mythologyand the Druid tradition.



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Unit EightCLAIM SONG MOON(July - August)

Moon : Claim SongIn the traditions of many peoples, this is the moon during which the harvest iscelebrated; it is for this reason that I call it Claim Song Moon. Having truthfullyacknowledged our own investment in the crop, now is the time to claim what is ours,whether that be the abundance or the scarcity. Our song is the expression of thattruth.

What is the most relevant name for this moon in your environment?

Festival : LughnasadhLughnasadh, Lammas, Gwyl Awst are names for this festival celebrated in Druidryand most new Paganisms on or around 1 August. What do these words mean andwhat is their history?

Although my grove gathers at the nearest Saturday to this date, I personallymake my rituals when the first field of wheat or barley is harvested in the valley of myhome. At that time, I spend time in the fields of golden corn, making offerings of song, and making sacrifice in thanks to the gods, the land, the plants, the wildlife,and the cereal itself, for feeding the people.

As you prepare your ritual of Gwyl Awst, consider what you personally andwhat society generally can give in return for this gift of sustenance. How can we giveadequate thanks? And what is the purpose of our thanksgiving?

Season : Harvest Waxing

Though in Britain we use the word autumn and in the US the word is fall, the olderword for the season that follows summer is harvest. This is its beginning.In the environment where I live, by Gwyl Awst we already have an abundance of

strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, loganberries, and other sweet red berriesgrown for our pleasure and nourishment. If you can, find a farm (organic) where youcan pick your own harvest, and celebrate this profusion of natures generosity.

Be aware of when the harvest of wheat and barley is ready. Although mostDruidry can well be practised in the city, we are all dependent on this harvest; find away of knowing how the harvest is going. Has there been enough rain or too much?What is the state of the land? Take a trip out into the country and sit yourself downin a field of wheat just before the harvest ... and just afterwards.

Perception : DanceThrough each moon we have focused on different ways in which we perceive the world;this moontides focus is dance. We may think of dance as an activity, but in Druidrydance is also a medium through which we experience our own life and the world aroundus.

That is not just about our own movement, but about the way in which all of nature moves. To what rhythms is nature dancing? How can you improve the way

you hear or feel those rhythms? Listen to the earth, to gravity, to the heartbeat of humanity, to the wind, the rain, to your cravings and your ancestors. Find a deeper, asacred and a more meaningful way of dancing.


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Element : WaterWith the shift in season from summer to harvest, we change focus on elements, fromfire to water, and this moontide we look at water in everything. Just as it is possible

to see earth and sunshine in all of nature, so it is possible to acknowledge the elementof water.Scientists are now speak of the notion of water having memory, an idea that

is integral to most Paganisms around the world, to homeopathy and other naturalmedicines. Find out what you can about this idea. What does that mean in terms of the power, the spirit or song of a river, of the ocean, of rain? Find out how much of ahuman body is water, how much our brain is made up of water, how much of theearths surface is water. Be aware of the water in the food you eat, understandingwhere that water came from. What about the water you drink, water bottled andtransported miles for your convenience, and water drawn from a kitchen tap? Howdoes it feel to have a bath, or slip into a swimming pool or the sea?

What is the effect on your perception of life with this consciousness of water?How does it change your behaviour?

Humanity : ConnectionThrough the fluidity of water, through its omnipresence, during this moontide thefocus is on the way in which we connect with all life.

Druidry teaches us that we are all connected: through blood, stories, breath,love, grief and landscape, we are linked to our ancestors and our descendants.Through food, tears, laughter and song, through all we excrete, through everythought and action, we are linked to the land and seas. Through energy andconsciousness, through the molecules and subatomic particles of our being, we areconnected.

It can be hard to imagine the threads that make up the complete web of life;seeing them as currents within water can be easier. Similarly, when we are used tofeeling the threads existent in space, to shift that awareness to water can also be auseful and potent change of perception. Why?

How does your relationship with nature change, and your relationships withindividuals, when you are conscious of these threads and currents of connection?

Environment : VerdancyHolly is the tree noted by some at this time; who and why? Although holly is not soprominent in the forest or hedgerows at this time as it is in the middle of winter, whenother trees are bare, it is associated with the harvest and sacrifice. Can you feel thatlink?

Growth is heavy and often wet in the valley of my home at this time. The tideis clearly turning, and hints of darkness and decay are creeping in. Can you feel them?Leaves are rotting underneath the lush green growth, petals and fruit fallen, the starkshaven vulnerability of a field newly harvested.

In terms of trees, plants and the wild creatures, what seems to you mostawake and vibrant, most poignant, in your environment through this moontide?

Self : SacrificeSacrifice is the key focus of this moon, for as the harvest is brought in we rise tocelebrate the gifts of the land, of the ancestors and the gods. What are these gifts?

Yet the word sacrifice has negative connotations in secular modern culture;


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why? Many in Druidry consider it to be a key part of their practice. As such, it isuseful to find out why that may be. Talk to others in the tradition, read and askquestions of practitioners and students of Druidry.

How would you define sacrifice in a positive way, and how would you distinguishit from the offerings that you make in thanksgiving? Whom do we make sacrifices toin Druidry? If we recall what our ancestors sacrificed (livestock; what else?), eachitem was clearly of significant value. What can we sacrifice in our modern andrelatively comfortable world that would be of similar value? And what would be thepurpose of doing so?

Creativity : The GiftHaving spent a moontide writing poetry, through this moon you are encouraged togive it away! How? Keep writing, now exploring in your poems your perception of ourcomplete connection within nature, allowing yourself to receive inspiration through thegrowing trust and openness of your interaction.

Some poems you may feel are strong enough to learn and recite to yourmuse(s), to those who have inspired you to write, offering the verses in thanksgiving.Some you may offer to the gods, to the land, to the wind, or may burn, knowing thatpoetry, like water, continuously flows if we let it. Nothing is ever lost, but muchdecays in order to regenerate in a new form. Let your words float upon the currents.

Ethics : PaymentThrough a moontide during which we acknowledge and give thanks for powerful giftsof abundance offered by the land, as we consider sacrifice, think about what you cangive back. You may feel this is a good time to clear excess from your house and giveit to charity, or find the courage and generosity to give an amount to charity or a

number of charities, or give a gift to a friend in need.This may be a time to do some fundraising for an ethical cause, or perhaps togive time in voluntary work for a charitable organization you support. Another form of sacrifice is to stop buying cheap food, determining here to buy organic and fair tradeproduce.

It always takes an effort to make a sacrifice; if it doesnt, no sacrifice is made.



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Unit NineGREEN STILL MOON(August - September)

Moon : Green StillGreen Still Moon is the name I use for this tide. For the green growth is now dark,thick and heavy; there is a sense of waiting, a stillness while the apples swell, theearth is dry, and the wasps lazily seek out sweetness to steal.

Find our what other names people and traditions use for this moon, and bythe end of the tide choose your own name for it, one that reflects the cycle in yourenvironment and your own nature.

Festival : EquinoxDuring this moon we prepare for the Autumn Equinox, and again I encourage you togo out at dawn and dusk to chart exactly where the sun rises and sets upon thehorizon near your home. Just as it did through spring, youll see the positionchanging quickly, the sun emerging and disappearing significantly nearer the easteach day.

Through the inertia of sticky warm days and heavy growth, the undercurrentof change rising beneath us, drawing us closer to the point of balance. What do yourely on to hold you balanced through periods of change? How present or reliable isthat in your life? Think about the issue with relevance to your family or closecommunity, and to all humanity: in the turmoil of change, what do we need to feelsecure? Becoming aware of these issues will be a guide for the festival rite.

Season : Harvest

This moon takes us through the thick of harvest season, a time which for ourancestors (until only a few generations ago) meant blistering hard work. Long hotdays spent in the fields, the whole family at work, sharing laughter, stories, sweat andtears, drinking gallons of ale or cider where safe water wasnt available. Oncegathered, that harvest was given over to the land owner, or needed to be sold; eitherway, its value was crucial to the community. How much contact do you have withthis powerful cycle and understanding of food? Can you find a way of getting moreinvolved, or - if you do grow your own food - allowing others to get involved who donthave the opportunity. How does it change your behaviour and your awareness of food, of the land, the weather, the gods?

Perception : TouchIn the sweat of the days working, in the lazy evenings, through this moontide wake

yourself to the power of touch once again. This sense is also a focus in the tidebefore the Spring Equinox, yet then the land was hard with cold and sleep. As youexplore, be aware of just how is it different now.

Indulge in the heightened awareness of what the world feels like on yourfingertips, beneath bare feet, upon your cheek or lips, resting on your belly. Exploresensations of wet and dry, sticky and slippy, sun-baked warm and shadow cool,prickly thistles, soft moss, hazel leaves and beech leaves, oak bark and cherry bark.Close your eyes, and touch. Open again to the wonder.

Element : Thirst


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Staying with water, through this tide acknowledge the element in its most preciousforms. Explore what happens when you are thirsty, and consider how that powerfulcraving is ever-present in many communities of the world.

Find a place where water is scarce and sit, in summers stillness and warmth,until you can feel the value and power of water here. Raise your awareness of theprecious nature of tears and sweat: what is released in these two, physiologically,chemically, and emotionally? How much do you sweat and shed tears? Raise yourawareness of what is happening when you do.

Recalling how water connects all life, holding memory, how are sweat and tearsso important in and to the stories of our people?

Humanity : Human BeingsThrough this moontide, the relationship to work on is your relationship with humanityas a whole. What do you share with every other human being across the world? Whatdo you share with human beings who have lived through the past five thousand years,and the past fifty thousand? What makes your culture, your family and yourself unique? What makes this period of time unique for humanity?

In holding awareness of these things, the Druid feels acutely the connectionsthat link him/her into the energy and consciousness, or the spirit, of humanity, as itexists within the flow of time, upon the Earth. What is the benefit of this wakefulconnection?

Through our actions and attitudes, we can each make a difference to thewellbeing of our species; how can you improve what you contribute to humanity? Doit.

Environment : Nuts

The hazel is the tree honoured by many through this moon, and indeed it is at thispoint a dense green, putting forward its precious nuts, food that will be all too quicklydevoured by the wild creatures (notably squirrels here) of any environment. Thethistles are at their height where I live, tall and gloriously spiked, their purple flowerstransforming into the softest cotton down.

Which plants, trees and animal are most visible in your landscape? Which areputting out nuts and seeds? Amongst the birds, which migrants are alreadydisappearing and where are they heading? Which are most commonly seen now? Can

you see that mix of inertia and change in the wild creatures around you? What is theenergy and life on the fields that have been harvested?

Self : HarvestAt this time, our personal harvest is becoming clear. Before us are the results of what began as dreams at Gwyl Fair, of the seeds that we sowed in the spring, thatwe nurtured through the sunshine of summer. Some may have thrived and offer us aharvest of those dreams, bringing an abundance of achievement and wellbeing. Somewill not have germinated, some will have withered and died, and at times that will havebeen a good thing, while at others there will be a sense of failure and regret.

Through this moontide, let us consider our own harvest, looking back tomidwinter and the journey through the tides of this growing cycle. What lessons canbe learned? Where did we push against the season and where did we allow nature tosupport our work?


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Unit TenBLOOD BERRY MOON(September - October)

Moon : Blood BerryThis moon I call Blood Berry Moon. The hedgerows are full of blackberries that revealthe quality of the summer now gone in their taste, sweet and soft, or tight and tart.The last of the maize is coming in, the apples and plums are with us in abundance,and there is now a clear sense of the worth of our harvest. And by this time it isusually obvious what we have paid for it.

What is the most relevant name for this moon in your environment?

Festival : Alban EluedAutumn Equinox is the festival of this or the last moon. Druids often use the nameAlban Elued: what do those words mean and why are they used? Consider the wordswith your whole body, not just your mind.

Through the course of this moon, once the equinox is past, spend timerecognizing and accepting the journey we are taking through the cycle of the year, thedays becoming shorter, growth slowing down. The cold is creeping in. We are ridingthe current that will take us into winter; how does that make you feel?

Most poignantly and effectively, how can you celebrate that current?Celebration is a powerful action and, to the Druid, is not something done withoutdeep thought and consideration. What do we celebrate, how can we do so, whatimpact will that have on others, and what of those who are not able to celebrate? Weare all connected. Let this be a strong part of your understanding of the festival.

Season : Harvest WaningThe last moon of the harvest, this is the time when we celebrate the apples, such asignificant fruit of our land and our heritage. For some they are the sacred fruit of the dead, while others consider them the fruit of fertility. Explore that symbologyand, as importantly, explore what the apple means to you.

That the sun rises and sets now past the point of balance, rapidly movingtowards the south, can be seen clearly in the speed of change within the landscape.Which of the deciduous trees are already dropping their leaves?

Perception : Taste and SmellTaste and smell are the media of perception to focus on through this moon. Can yousmell the changes in the air as the darkness begins more effectively to seep into thecycles growth? Can you smell the change in the land as it receives this darkness,welcoming it as the process of decay? In the soil, in the hedgerows, in the plants of the verges and gardens, in the bark of trees, in the wind and in the rain, the scentsgive out stories. Allow the change in the air to wake your sense of smell and taste.Use your altar to remind you.

As you give thanks for the harvest, make sure that you are fully tasting allthat you eat, honouring the gods of the land, the ancestors, and all that has pouredenergy into it for your nourishment.

Element : Flowing WaterThrough this moon, let the focus be water in the form of rivers and streams, oceans


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and rain. This is about flow, about tides and cycles, about the currents of life. Thewater that falls as rain is the same water that has been here on earth for millions of

years. Moving through the cycles of nature, it has been ocean, cloud, rain and mist,

streams and rivers; it has been drunk and become a part of the bodies of humansand birds and beetles; it has been sweat and tears and piss, carried babies in thewomb and bled onto the land.

Find a source of flowing water and, during these weeks of Blood Berry Moon,let yourself become aware of the continuity and power of water in motion.

Humanity : StoriesWhen we think about relationship, it is often personal connections with individualsthat come to mind. However, in this moon look to the flow of history and mythology.Do you have a sense of being a member of a community, a people, a tribe, sharing ahistory with others, stretching back along that current of history? What are thestories that flow with that current?

In Druidry, stepping aside from the polarities of right and wrong, good andbad, we also dont work with the black and white notion of fact and fiction; instead wehonour stories. What are the stories of your tribe? What are the tribes mythologies,the tales that help both to form and to guide the tribe as it moves through time?

How do you yourself relate to these stories and what in what way do theyinfluence or affect you?

Environment : Wild FoodThe vine is the plant some associate with this moon, but other than through wine it isnot a part of my own environment or culture. The blackberries, sloes, elderberries, thewoody nightshade are in the hedgerows and along the edges of the forest. What are

the berries and other wild foods of your environment at this time? Spend time, as yougather, taste or find stillness with the berries, to consider your ancestors and howimportant these foods would have been - and perhaps will be again.

What is the tree, plant or animal that seems to you now most prominent?Who is calling to you as you walk through the landscape? How many of the deciduoustrees are dropping their leaves now? What are the last flowers of the cycle still inblossom, reaching for the sun, and who is pollinating them? What of the insects, thelast wasps and moths? Who is already retreating? Which birds have flown to warmerlands?

Self : DirectionAs water flows through our landscape, and stories flow through the soul of our tribe,this moon gives us an opportunity to consider that force of nature that is flow, thatoffers direction.

At this time of year, with the harvest come in and a sense of what we haveachieved through the cycle, it is poignant to look at what direction our life is taking.On what currents are we moving? Are those currents in tune with our own soul-song?Are they supporting and born of what we honestly feel to be our own truth? Is themomentum our own?

How does it feel to be riding upon someone elses current? Or your own?

Creativity : Our OwnAs we explore the honesty and integrity of our direction, feeling the flow of life through


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time, considering our personal story is important.If you were to take your own life, or a key moment from your life, how would

you tell the tale? The telling of a myth lays to one side the need to distinguish

between fact and/or fiction, yet it does so without compromising the tales honesty:can you do the same with your life story? What is your own mythology? Craft thetale in the third person (referring to yourself as he or she, not I), writing it down inprose or in poetry, and - as the moon comes to its end - tell it to your ancestors.Your audience may be the long dead of your bloodline, your words offered into the windor the sunlight, or it may be your own living family.

Ethics : LoyaltyLoyalty is a powerful word and one that is not often used nowadays, yet to ourancestors it was a crucial part of honour. Consider the word, and how it is used insociety around you.

What is the value of loyalty in your life? Where do you express the most loyaltyundiluted, and where is it given most powerfully to you? When have you suffered fromloyalty being broken, and when have you broken it?

Consider loyalty when you think about the history of your tribe, your people, your nation. Patriotism and defence of one tribe (or person) can create violence thatis detrimental, dangerous and unnecessary. Where is the line most honourably drawn?



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Unit ElevenLEAF DANCE MOON(October - November)

Moon : Leaf DanceLeaf Dance is the name I give to this moon, and in the beauty of my valley it is nothard to see why, for the winds come and draw the leaves from the deciduous trees,and they dance, a thousand colours of russet and brown, gold and copper, spinningand twirling, lifting up and dipping down. Then in the piles of leaves, with celebration of the season, we dance!

Find what other names are used for this moon, and by its end, choose yourown name for it.

Festival : SamhainSamhain, Samhuinn or Calan Gaeaf are names for this festival, known in Christianand now secular culture as Halloween. What do the old names mean and where dothey come from?

Usually celebrated on or around 31 October, for me it is a festival that arriveswith the first thick frost that is still upon the ground at dawn. With this frost comesa force of decay that prunes back the annuals, declaring the end of cycle. Thefestival is an opportunity to find that release within ourselves, ending a cycle, lettinggo of what is no longer needed. This then, for many in Druidry, is the end of the year.

In secular culture, that is now celebrated on 31 December, when a secondpasses taking us from the end of one into the beginning of the next. However, in theold nature traditions, life isnt that precise. For many, Samhain is the end of a cycle,but the new one does not begin until the birth of the new sun at the winter solstice.

Between now and then, there is the empty space of growing darkness, of quiet anddecay, a time of death, as th

perennial course - emma restall orr

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